In-flight entertainment (IFE) systems have the capacity to connect commercial air travelers to audiovisual content and the Internet without leaving their seats. For example, passengers may access onboard IFE systems via components built into the forward seat or bulkhead: monitors, communications ports, power outlets, etc. Conventional IFE systems use a seat electronic box (SEB) to link the IFE system to each passenger seat or group of seats. However, the cabling and wiring necessary to connect a SEB to individual seatback IFE components must be integrated into the seating to such a degree that servicing or upgrading any system components is impractical without replacing the entire seating assembly.
For example, a single SEB may provide IFE services to a group of seats (usually two, three, or four) separated by spreaders (e.g., aluminum components with partially hollow or tubular structures) and mounted to the cabin interior by leg structures. In order to run cabling from the SEB (which must itself be mounted to a passenger seat) to each individual seatback-mounted monitor without compromising passenger comfort, the cabling must be run through the seat spreaders (which may need to be designed with hollow or tubular portions for this purpose) and ziptied to the spreaders to hold the cabling in place and out of the way of passengers. As a result, not only is installation of the SEB and IFE end components a cumbersome and complicated process, but servicing the system, or upgrading any of its individual components, may not be possible without at least partial dismantling of the seating assembly.